When I was in the corporate world, I loved juggling different tasks and projects, always getting to work on new things. As I began my personal development journey, I thought maybe I had just loved it as a way to fulfill my hyperachiever tendencies or to cover up overthinking.
After doing some work with my coaches, it turns out that it may just be how I’m wired! I love juggling different responsibilities, having variety in new ideas, and doing different types of work.
As I’ve been building my business, I’ve gotten away from this a bit. I knew I had a tendency to spread myself too thin in the past, which I wanted to avoid. In having this awareness, I’ve developed a schedule that I love and want to keep.
But I’ve learned that I can have it both ways, juggling a variety of projects and keeping balance in my schedule. The key is adopting methods that allow for efficiency. Here’s what I’ve learned that may help you make an impact that feels good to you while creating a schedule you love.
Blocking Your Calendar
Blocking your calendar is a total game-changer when trying to develop a schedule that feels amazing to you while also building something impactful. It allows you to take control of your time.
I block my calendar so that I don’t take meetings on Mondays or Fridays. I also block summer afternoons so I can give my dog some sort of activity while avoiding the summer heat. As with all things, though, this serves as a baseline for me. Do I still address urgent matters as needed? Yes. Do I sometimes take meetings during blocks if necessary? Yes. But I ultimately have control over those exceptions.
This has taken me some time to grow into. It felt scary at first! What if a potential client wanted a meeting with me at a time I blocked? What would the appearances be? I started with just Fridays. Then I realized that Mondays were my most productive “get work done” days so I blocked those from meetings. Then I realized that I was stressing about every afternoon, wondering if someone would schedule a meeting that would throw my whole routine into chaos. My coach, Suzanne Longstreet, helped give me the confidence to do what I needed to do to create a schedule that worked for me.
And the best part is, I can change my schedule and time blocks as needed!
And, while I’m giving you my secret sauce in hopes that it will help others, most people don’t know or need to know why your calendar is blocked.
Setting a Schedule that Works
I know that I’m a morning person. My productivity and creativity are at their peak then, and by the afternoon, I’m toast. I don’t produce any work in the afternoon unless totally necessary because I know it’s more difficult to hit my quality standards then.
Because I love making the most of my mornings, I get up early and start working by 6 am on a typical morning. It’s quiet during that time, and I can focus on deep work with uninterrupted writing while I have a fresh brain. I even do this on the weekends because I know I don’t like working in the afternoons, and on early weekend mornings, I’m not missing anything anyway but am still utilizing some of my most productive time of the week.
I’m usually finished with most of my work and meetings by lunchtime. I then enjoy time outside or on adventures. This fills up my cup to start with a fresh brain the next day.
This schedule works for me. Yours may look different. You may be a night owl who loves to get work done in the wee hours of the night because that’s how you’re wired. However you operate, when you set a schedule that works for you, you become more efficient and are able to open up more time on your calendar.
Urgent vs. Important
I mentioned earlier that I will still address urgent items as needed, even if they pop up during my time blocks. The key to this working is recognizing what is actually urgent as compared to what may feel urgent to you or someone else.
I used to feel like if there was anything at all on my to-do list that I should keep working to get through it. In my delusional thought process, I thought maybe I would get through everything at some point and then be able to create some time and peace for myself.
As most of us have learned the hard way, that typically doesn’t happen. That’s why it’s important to recognize and understand what is urgent, what is important, and what can wait. The Eisenhower Matrix is a great tool to use related to these concepts to prioritize your tasks.
I plan out my goals for each day of the week keeping in mind what needs to be done, what I want to get done, and what can wait. If I get through those tasks and nothing else pops up, I rest easy knowing that I did the few important things that I set out to do for the day.
I also recognize that urgent items may pop up. When they do, I give myself grace to delay completing the items that I had as goals for the day but were simply items that I wanted, rather than needed to get done.
If you want help taking control of your schedule as an entrepreneur, I’m happy to help! Feel free to schedule a chat using the button below to see if partnering with me to set up systems that work for you may be beneficial.
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.